trainman999

Santa dopped these off early

100_4214 by galon783, on Flickr

100_4214 by galon783, on Flickr

100_4216 by galon783, on Flickr

100_4217 by galon783, on Flickr

100_4218 by galon783, on Flickr

100_4220 by galon783, on Flickr

100_4222 by galon783, on Flickr

100_4223 by galon783, on Flickr

100_4225 by galon783, on Flickr

100_4226 by galon783, on Flickr

100_4228 by galon783, on Flickr

100_4231 by galon783, on Flickr

Mr_Asifi 

merziac

Wow, holy crap, very nice!

old_dreams

You must have been an especially good boy this year.

That track is stunning.

thinktubes 

pastorbobnlnh 

WOWSER!!!!!

Does the '83 Elite have a serial number stamped into the left rear dropout? Just curious as to when it was built and how close to my May '83 Standard. Is there metallic flake in the black paint? And while you are at it, what month was the '73 made?

trainman999

old dreams; “you must have been a good boy this year” I must have been, Santa allowed me to be caretaker of 8 more Paramounts ,A 99 Peloton, a Trek 170 and 2 or 3 lesser Trek’s this year. It’s been a fantastic year.

Pastorbobninh; Serial number on BB E8302. Yes paint is metal flake, track J73246. It looks like a long winter of polish ,wax, grease, and adjest


a E83 by galon783, on Flickr

pastorbobnlnh 

Our '83s were birthed the same month, 35 framesets apart, with the same metallic black paint. Interesting that Waterford placed the serial numbers in different locations. Mine has the same Cinelli BB shell and the placement of the RD cable stop on the top of the chain stay (about '85 they were moved to under the chain stay).

merziac

How cool is that?

trainman999

Verry cool ! I wonder if the frames hung out together in the paint line. Do you think the serial number location has to do with it being an elite Paramount or maby the chrome stays. Or maby the 50's all over again, BB, left droup out, right droup out, curve of the droup out, where does the serial number go this week?

pastorbobnlnh 

@trainman999 we can only guess about the serial number locations on these early Waterford Paramounts. I believe your serial number is the earliest one I've seen on the BB. Other Elites I've seen placed it on the left rear dropout like mine. There are so few examples of 1982-83-84 Paramounts that it is difficult to predict. About the painting, it does make you wonder if our frames were painted on the same day. I also wonder how many days apart they were made.

repechage

Think chrome plating, the other bike has chrome. Not stamped that deeply on yours. Chrome may have partially filled the stampings or been polished out? So, move them?

pastorbobnlnh 

I don't think this is a satisfactory explanation. The reason I believe this is of all the Chicago Paramounts which have chrome "boots" on the rear stays and dropouts. Many of the '60s and by the early '70s they all came this way with the serial number stamped in chrome plate. My '83 Standard also has chrome plated stays and rear dropouts. They just are painted over the chrome as well.

However, with that said, I have seen Standards with barely legible serial numbers because the paint was so thick, filling in the serial number to point of nearly hiding it from sight. Even mine is very difficult to read until it is highlighted with polish or wax.

The change in serial number style and location with these early Waterford Paramounts is perplexing and is somewhat linked with the change in BB shells and decal style. The Elites add additional wrinkles into the mix.

As examples:
This is a very difficult to read November '84 BB with the beginnings of a self describing serial number.


And here is a January '85 under cable BB with the old Chicago styled serial number.